Kerry McClure – Practical Wellness
February 16, 2015
Homemade milks are fresh, free of additives and preservatives, and you can manage the “nutrient density” of what you are putting in your body: the quality of the ingredients, sugar levels, taste and texture.
You can make a variety of plant-based “milks” by blending raw nuts, seeds, and grains with water. Almonds, cashews, macadamias, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, coconuts, soybeans, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, quinoa, millet, rice, and oats can all be liquefied into delicious milks.
Here are the recipes we use in our home to make coconut milk and almond milk. So from our home to yours…enjoy!
Coconut Milk
Yield: 2 1/2 cups, 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups very hot water
1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded dried coconut, unsoaked
Directions:
Put 1 1/2 cups of the water and the coconut in a blender. Process on low to medium speed until smooth. Add the remaining cup of water and process on high speed until smooth. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Put a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour the coconut mixture through it. Stir and press the pulp with a rubber spatula to extract as much milk as possible. Discard the pulp. ALTERNATIVELY, use a nut milk bag or cheesecloth to strain the milk. Stored in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed glass jar, coconut milk will keep for 5 days. It tends to separate, so shake well before using.
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Homemade almond milk is creamier, nuttier, and just overall more delicious than store bought. This almond milk is delicious on it’s own, but I also use it in smoothies, or with granola.
Almond Milk
Makes about 4 cups of almond milk
Ingredients:
2 cup almonds (soaked overnight)
4 cups water
seeds from 1 vanilla bean or ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
2 dates
Directions:
Drain and rinse the almonds. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Drain entire mixture through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth. Store in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed glass jar.
Play with the amounts of vanilla, cinnamon and dates if you want a little more flavor!
Pictured: Left: Almond milk and Right: coconut milk
Sources:
Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People by Jennifer Cornbleet
Almond Milk Recipe inspired by Jenny Sansouci
https://www.kerrymcclure.com/almond-milk/
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